The restaurant industry continues to be one of the most competitive markets out there. As trends proceed to change and die down, it becomes integral for restauranteurs to keep up with the fast-paced environment. If you’re a restaurant owner struggling to keep up with the market, you may experience a decline in sales and a lack of customers. So how do you fix this?
One solution is to rebrand your restaurant to freshen up your look and bring back that excitement.
Why should you rebrand?
Rebranding is an important aspect of marketing. It focuses on looking at what the customer wants and creating a product that best serves your target market. Rebranding is especially necessary when you feel your business isn’t doing so well, and you could do with a change in pace. Some telltale signs that you need to rebrand are:
- When you need to tap into a new customer segment
- When you feel your original image just isn’t selling anymore
- When you’re unable to keep up with the evolving market trends
But rebranding can be tough to carry out, if not done properly. So how do you properly rebrand a restaurant? We’ve shortlisted some of the best marketing techniques to follow for a successful rebranding strategy.
1. Find out what your customer likes
Just like in any business, the key to success is knowing what attracts your customers. For this, remember while you want to keep your current customer-base, you also want to expand your audience. And there is no better way to do that than to directly consider what your market wants.
If you’re looking to rebrand your restaurant, take a look at the demographics of your local community, and what segment of this market you are looking to target.
Find out what your audience expects from you, in terms of food, service, and atmosphere. Do they know you as a luxury restaurant or a casual family diner? What prices would they be willing to pay for your food? These are all questions only your audience will know the answers to, and approaching them is the first step to successfully rebranding your business.
The well-known Mexican food chain, Chipotle, went through a successful rebranding phase where they attempted to re-identify themselves with a “lifestyle rebrand”. Having listened to consumer demand for healthier food options, Chipotle grabbed the opportunity to serve this segment.
Listen to the ideas your customers have and this might just be your chance to make a change in direction.
2. Revamp your brand logo
Your brand logo is an important part of your restaurant’s whole identity. People will recognize your restaurant through the logo you put in front of them. This is exactly why it should be the most vibrant, noticeable part of your brand, and should be in sync with the theme of your restaurant.
Take a minute to figure out what disadvantages your current logo holds. Analyze the color palette, the font, and the theme. Does your logo match the message you want to convey? Is it attractive enough to engage your customers? Do people remember it by memory?
If you’re unsure of the answers to the questions above, it is time to rebrand yourself and your logo. You can hire a good graphic designer to help you create a brand new logo, or design one yourself using free-of-cost online tools. Choose from a variety of logo templates with varying designs without adding too much to your expenses.
Brands like Applebees are known for revamping their logo overtime to keep up with changing visual trends and modern-day graphics.
3. Revisit your menu design
Your menu is just as significant in cementing your brand image as your logo is, if not more. The first thing the customer asks to look at when they step into your restaurant is the menu. An attractive, readable menu will determine if the customer ends up ordering from you.
Your menu should be designed in a way that enhances your customer’s appetite and matches with the theme of your restaurant. It should have a suitable color palette, a good variety of options, and suitable information for your customer. Visuals matter too! Your customer will be more likely to order a dish if they see an appetizing picture of it on your menu.
The good thing about technology is that you get the opportunity to make a big difference without investing too much time or money. The internet provides free access to online design tools like PosterMyWall which provides a wide range of menu templates to choose from to get you started.
Alternatively, you can also use the PosterMyWall menu maker to design your own menu from scratch and add your own details. With such tools, you can now create high-quality designs to engage your audience at low, affordable costs.
Brands like Mcdonald’s make sure their menus are vibrant and visible by putting them up on boards within and outside their restaurant in bright colors and fonts. They fill their menu up with pictures of their food items for customers to know exactly what they want when they visit a branch.
To make sure your customers are attracted to your food through your menu, redesign in a way that builds up an appetite!
Rebranding your restaurant can be difficult, especially in a competitive market where trends keep evolving. These tips will guide you on how to effectively rebrand your space in a way that will bring back your appeal and put your brand back on top of the food chain.